Conventional column wraps may be used to cover a support or structural column of a house. Recent column wraps include the column wrap kits manufactured by AIC Millworks. These column wraps may be manufactured from PVC and include two pieces that snap together. The two pieces may each include two flat sides affixed at a right angle forming a L-shape for a tight fit with a corner of a square pole, such as a porch post.
Other recent column wraps include the single-piece post cladding element of U.S. Pat. No. 7,168,220 (“the '220 patent”). There, the Abstract discloses “a one-piece elongated tubular flexible member body having a continuous seam closure formed along the body.”
The '220 patent notes that multi-piece cladding assemblies are known. With respect to U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,920, the Background of the '220 patent states “multiple piece assemblies, however, require significant assemblage efforts and include several connection seams, each of which is subject to failure and provides an entry point for moisture.” Therefore, conventional column wraps may include various short-comings, including those noted above.